# Mihir's Diwali Sky Lantern Canonical: https://littlestorybook.ai/stories/en/mihirs-diwali-sky-lantern PDF: https://littlestorybook.ai/api/public/stories/en/mihirs-diwali-sky-lantern/download Language: en · Ages: 4-5 · Illustrated picture story, free Reviewed for child-safety · gentle by design. ## For parents A Diwali story for kids aged 4 to 5: Mihir and Aaji make a paper sky lantern, and his too-many punched holes turn into a ceiling full of stars. ## The story text Every Diwali, the balconies in Mihir's building glowed with paper star lanterns. Aaji called them akash kandils. "Akash means sky," she said. This year, Mihir wanted to make his very own. So Aaji came home with a star made of thin bamboo sticks, and a roll of bright orange paper. Aaji cut the paper with her big scissors. Scissors are a grown-up job, so Mihir was in charge of glue. Dab, dab, dab. He pressed each piece onto the sticks. "Hold it and count to ten," said Aaji. "One, two, three…" Piece by piece, the bare sticks turned into a big orange star. Next, Aaji gave Mihir a paper punch. Click! A tiny round hole. Click, click! A row of holes. Mihir loved the clicking. Click, click, click, click! When he looked up, one whole point of the star was full of holes. "Oh no," said Mihir. "I made it holey!" Aaji just smiled. "Let's wait until it's dark." Aaji cut long paper strips, and Mihir fluffed them into tassels that swished like a tail. Then Baba brought a small battery light. "Never a candle inside paper," said Baba. "This light stays cool." Mihir clicked it on. It worked! He clicked it off again and, very carefully, tucked it inside the star. That evening, Baba switched off the room lights. Mihir held his breath and pressed the button. The star glowed orange. And all over the walls and the ceiling… tiny dots of light! Dozens and dozens of little stars. The most stars of all came from the point full of holes. "My holes made stars!" whispered Mihir. Baba stood on the step stool and hung the kandil from the hook in the balcony ceiling, while Mihir stayed by the door and called, "A little higher!" Now his star glowed with all the others in the building. Mihir lay on the mat beside Aaji and looked up at the tiny stars on the ceiling. "Now I know why it's a sky lantern," he said sleepily. "It makes its own sky." ## Scenes ### 1. Akash Means Sky Every Diwali, the balconies in Mihir's building glowed with paper star lanterns. Aaji called them akash kandils. "Akash means sky," she said. This year, Mihir wanted to make his very own. So Aaji came home with a star made of thin bamboo sticks, and a roll of bright orange paper. Image: https://littlestorybook.ai/media/storyboards/story_863f1093a8024cb3ba685177797231d2/scene-01.jpg (Every Diwali, the balconies in Mihir's building glowed with paper star lanterns. Aaji called them akash kandils. "Akash means sky," she said) ### 2. Hold and Count Aaji cut the paper with her big scissors. Scissors are a grown-up job, so Mihir was in charge of glue. Dab, dab, dab. He pressed each piece onto the sticks. "Hold it and count to ten," said Aaji. "One, two, three…" Piece by piece, the bare sticks turned into a big orange star. Image: https://littlestorybook.ai/media/storyboards/story_863f1093a8024cb3ba685177797231d2/scene-02.jpg (Aaji cut the paper with her big scissors. Scissors are a grown-up job, so Mihir was in charge of glue. Dab, dab, dab. He pressed each piece) ### 3. Click, Click! Next, Aaji gave Mihir a paper punch. Click! A tiny round hole. Click, click! A row of holes. Mihir loved the clicking. Click, click, click, click! When he looked up, one whole point of the star was full of holes. "Oh no," said Mihir. "I made it holey!" Aaji just smiled. "Let's wait until it's dark." Image: https://littlestorybook.ai/media/storyboards/story_863f1093a8024cb3ba685177797231d2/scene-03.jpg (Next, Aaji gave Mihir a paper punch. Click! A tiny round hole. Click, click! A row of holes. Mihir loved the clicking. Click, click, click,) ### 4. Tassels and a Light Aaji cut long paper strips, and Mihir fluffed them into tassels that swished like a tail. Then Baba brought a small battery light. "Never a candle inside paper," said Baba. "This light stays cool." Mihir clicked it on. It worked! He clicked it off again and, very carefully, tucked it inside the star. Image: https://littlestorybook.ai/media/storyboards/story_863f1093a8024cb3ba685177797231d2/scene-04.jpg (Aaji cut long paper strips, and Mihir fluffed them into tassels that swished like a tail. Then Baba brought a small battery light. "Never a) ### 5. Stars Everywhere That evening, Baba switched off the room lights. Mihir held his breath and pressed the button. The star glowed orange. And all over the walls and the ceiling… tiny dots of light! Dozens and dozens of little stars. The most stars of all came from the point full of holes. "My holes made stars!" whispered Mihir. Image: https://littlestorybook.ai/media/storyboards/story_863f1093a8024cb3ba685177797231d2/scene-05.jpg (That evening, Baba switched off the room lights. Mihir held his breath and pressed the button. The star glowed orange. And all over the wall) ### 6. A Sky of Its Own Baba stood on the step stool and hung the kandil from the hook in the balcony ceiling, while Mihir stayed by the door and called, "A little higher!" Now his star glowed with all the others in the building. Mihir lay on the mat beside Aaji and looked up at the tiny stars on the ceiling. "Now I know why it's a sky lantern," he said sleepily. "It makes its own sky." Image: https://littlestorybook.ai/media/storyboards/story_863f1093a8024cb3ba685177797231d2/scene-06.jpg (Baba stood on the step stool and hung the kandil from the hook in the balcony ceiling, while Mihir stayed by the door and called, "A little) ## Parent tip Read the child name into the story when it fits, then pause for a giggle or reply. --- Read/play the illustrated version: https://littlestorybook.ai/stories/en/mihirs-diwali-sky-lantern Little Storybook — free gentle picture stories & micro-lessons in your family's language.